After His Death: Lal's Story
by Machi-love
Summary: After Colonello's Death, Lal's world fell apart. Will she ever be rescued? And a will a new life inside of her change everything? Set in the future, so everyone is TYL. Parings: ColonelloxLal, HibarixLal. Rated T for adult theme
1. Chapter 1: Sorrow and Determination

_All she ever wanted… All she ever needed… "I love you, Lal Milch."_

Clutching the camouflage bandana that was his trademark and kneeling beside that lonely tombstone, Lal Milch wept until the tears wouldn't come any longer and her voice had run out. _Why?_ She wondered why her only friend had left her. _Who?_ She vowed to take revenge on the one who took him away. "Please!!" She rasped. "C-Come back… Colonello…!!"

- - -

"Hey, is there something wrong with Lal-san?" The ten years older Baseball-nut asked, wandering into the room with the ten years older versions of Hibari, Reborn, and Tsuna.

"What do you think?" Reborn replied with his usual bluntness.

"Oh, I don't know. I'm not good with these type of things." Yamamoto laughed.

"Herbivore." Hibari mumbled and scowled, staying away from the group.

"I just hope she's alright." Tsuna said, looking away.

The four sat around the meeting table, with their boss, Tsuna, at the head of the table. He had called a meeting for all the guardians at the Vongola base at the time; Gokudera, Mukuro, Chrome, Ryohei, and Lambo were all off on their own missions.

"So everyone… Wait, where's Lal-san?" Tsuna paused, glancing around room for the woman. "It's not like her to be late."

"You did let her know about the meeting, right Tsuna? You didn't forget?" Reborn smirked, his hat hiding his eyes.

"No! I let her know!" Tsuna flustered at being insulted by his teacher even as the head of the Vongola.

Hibari suddenly stood up from the table and strode quickly to the door. "I'll go look for her. Go on without me." He said as he left, disappearing down the hall.

"O-Oi! Hibari?" Yamamoto stood, raising an eyebrow. "Should I follow?"

"No, he'll be fine." Tsuna said, beckoning the swordsman to sit down. "I guess we'll continue, then…"

- - -

Lal sat alone in her room, holding Colonello's bandana in one hand and a mound of pills in the other. A single tear ran down her cheek, staining the precious bandana. Three days had passed since that trip to Colonello's grave, and the Arcoboleno girl hadn't come out since. She thought and thought, cried and cried, remembering the last days she had spent with Colonello. The last day they had spent together was the best night of her life. Regardless of what they did together, although that was great too, it was his words that lingered in her mind.

_/flashback/_

"So, you're returning to Japan tomorrow?" Colonello asked lying beside Lal on his bed, his hands behind his head.

"Yes, Iemitsu-sama is letting us return home." Lal replied, laying her head on his bare chest and wrapping her arms around him.

"Oh? So you're happy to go, kora?" He teased, running his hand along her bare back.

Lal looked up at him in surprise, "No! I…" she trailed off, blushing slightly.

"I know, kora. I was just kidding." He chuckled a bit, running his fingers through her black and blue tinted hair. "You what?" He prompted her to finish her sentence.

"I… I never want to leave you again." She whispered, taking his hand gently.

Colonello smiled, pulling the woman close and kissing her gently. "Neither do I." He said softly, caressing her cheek with his gentle touch. "Here's my promise." He let go of her, reaching across the bed to the nightstand and reaching into the drawer. He pulled out two things: his bandana and a small camouflage ring box. He put the items in Lal's hands, closing her fingers around them with his own. "Take these, kora. I'll always be with you, Lal…" He whispered, his blue gaze burning into her faded red.

"Colonello…" A single tear streaked down her cheek as his lips were pressed to hers, sealing their promise.

_/end flashback/_

And yet, that promise was broken a few days later when Colonello left her. Lal's lonely, failed Arcoboleno heart was shattered, and now she sat alone in her room ready to commit suicide.

_Maybe_, she thought, _just maybe Colonello will forgive me, and we can still be together… _She lifted the pills to her mouth.

- - -

"Lal."

She didn't move.

"Lal Milch."

A voice reached her ears. _Who… Could it be?_ "Colonello?" She struggled to get the name out, her voice barely a whisper.

"Try again." Hibari replied, holding Lal gently in his arms.

"W… What are you doing here…" Lal opened her eyes slightly, recognizing his voice.

"The herbivore was wondering why you weren't at the meeting." He replied bluntly. "You're lucky, any more pills and you would've been gone."

Lal glanced down, embarrassed. She realized how stupid her suicide attempt had been. What had she become? "Yeah." Lal replied softly. She started to attempt to get up, but a gentle yet firm arm around her stopped her.

"You're not going anywhere by yourself." Hibari stated, suddenly sweeping Lal into his arms and carrying her out of the room.

"H-Hibari!"

"Shut up, you're wasting your energy." He cut her protests off as he carried her to the infirmary.

Lal sighed a little, closing her eyes. _I'm sorry, everyone…_ She thought. _Maybe… Everything had happened, maybe Colonello left… Because of me…_ With tears in her eyes, she fell asleep.

- - -

"She did what?!" Tsuna stood, shocked at the news.

"Stop yelling." Hibari glared at the tenth.

"But why? Lal-san wouldn't do something like that…" Yamamoto asked, confused.

Reborn sat in his chair, frowning a little. "Perhaps." He mumbled to himself.

"I'm gonna go visit her." Yamamoto stood and turned to leave, but was stopped by a familiar voice.

"No, Takeshi." Bianchi said, leaning against the doorframe. "She's asleep, and not ready for visitors yet."

"Bianchi? A-Alright…" Yamamoto blinked at the pink haired woman, slowly sitting back down.

"I'll be taking care of her." Bianchi said bluntly. "I'll let you know when you can see her." The scorpion disappeared down the hall towards the infirmary.

"H-Hey…" Yamamoto stuttered. "Well, I guess that's settled." He laughed.

"Don't worry about Lal. She'll be fine." Reborn said, smirking a bit. "Her life his harder than you'll ever know, so she's strong."

"Y-Yeah…" Tsuna agreed, remembering the fact of Colonello's death.

"All we can do is wait for her to recover, and knowing Lal, that will probably be sooner than later." Reborn lowered his head, his hat brim covering his eyes.


	2. Chapter 2: Secret Revealed

Lal blinked up at the bare white ceiling of the infirmary. She was aware of the machines hooked up to her arm; the constant beeping coming from one of the monitors sounded in her ear. She made no attempt to move, she just stared blankly at the pure whiteness around her.

_I can't believe it came to this, _she thought. _If only… If only I could have died with Colonello! Now I've made everyone worry… It's all my fault… Everything…_

The door suddenly opened interrupting Lal's thoughts. In the doorway stood Bianchi, holding a tray of food.

"Are you awake, Lal?" She called softly as she entered.

Lal nodded weakly, sitting up slightly.

"Good." Bianchi sat in a chair beside the bed, setting the tray of non-poisoned food next to Lal on the bed. "Do you want anything?"

"No." Lal said flatly, pushing the tray away from her a little. "I'm not hungry." She lied.

Bianchi frowned and pushed the tray back to its original position. "You should at least try and eat," she chided gently.

Lal shook her head, looking away. "I'm fine."

"Lal." Bianchi took a bottle of water from the tray, cracked it open, and held it out to her. "Please?"

Lal sighed, taking the bottle and took a miniscule sip, took it away from her lips, then raised it for another bigger sip.

Bianchi smiled lightly, crossing her arms over her stomach. "Tsuna just about had a heart attack when he heard about you." She chuckled a little, then noticed the crestfallen look on the Arcoboleno's face. _Oh darn. Wrong thing to say_, she thought. "Sorry…" She mumbled.

Lal bit her lower lip slightly, holding back tears. "It's alright, it's not your fault. I just wish…" She took a shaky breath before continuing. "I just wish everything would turn out alright."

Bianchi nodded and reached over to Lal, patting her hand gently. "It will, don't worry."

Bianchi sensed something inside of Lal, but she wasn't sure what it was yet. All she knew is that Lal couldn't die for its sake. She smiled lightly, then stood. "The others want to see you, is it alright?"

Lal nodded, laying her head back on the pillow. "Go ahead."

"Alright." Bianchi gave her one last smile, then left.

- - -

"Lal-san!" Yamamoto grinned upon seeing the woman, entering the room followed by Tsuna and Reborn.

"Takeshi…" She forced a pleased look on her face.

"Are you alright, Lal-san?" Tsuna said from the doorway.

Before Lal could reply, Reborn walked up to the bed and sat down on the edge and placed a cold hand on her forehead. The two had shared a strong bond, both being cursed. "Not dead yet." He smirked.

Lal gave Reborn a sideways glance and gently removed his hand from her forehead, holding it in hers. "I'm fine everyone, thanks."

Tsuna and Yamamoto approached the bed, both smiling. "I'm glad you're fine, Lal-san." Tsuna said politely.

"Thanks." Lal said flatly.

Yamamoto laughed, slapping Tsuna's back lightly. "See? You didn't have to worry, Lal-san will be up and fighting again in no time! Right, Lal-san?"

Right then, Lal was hit with a major headache boulder out of nowhere, and she curled up and held her head in her hands. "M-My head…"

"Oi! Lal?" Yamamoto sat down next to her and wrapped his arms around her, offering the calm of the Rain.

"I'm fine." Lal said firmly through gritted teeth, lying to the men around her. "I'm fine…" She muttered, then gave in and leaned on Yamamoto.

"Leave her alone." A new voice commanded from the door. "Your annoying voices are giving her a headache." Hibari stated.

Yamamoto looked at Hibari, then back at Lal. He gave her one last hug and kissed her forehead ever so lightly, then stood up and left, followed by the others leaving Hibari and Lal alone.

The skilled hit man walked over to the bedside and looked down at Lal. "I don't care why you tried to kill yourself, but-" He leaned in close to her, lifting her chin with his hand, "Don't try it again." He stared intently into her eyes for a few seconds, then suddenly turned and left as quickly as he had appeared.

Lal sat there in a daze, her head still throbbing painfully. Slightly oblivious to what had just happened, she laid her head back down on the pillow, a single tear slipping down her cheek as her eyes closed and she fell asleep.

Three days later…

Lal wandered through the halls of the underground base, trying to calm her mind. She had recovered from her near overdose, but now, some mornings she would wake up feeling horribly sick and others she would be totally fine. She worried that the others would notice, and force her back to lying down for hours on end again. She convinced herself that it was just a strange side effect from the Trinsette radiation poisoning in her, and attempted to live with it.

But on the other hand, Bianchi had a different theory to Lal's problems. She _had_ noticed, and her woman's intuition was to blame. She couldn't help but see what the men had failed to notice about Lal, so she decided to confront the woman about it. She also wandered the halls, looking for the Arcoboleno. A few minutes later, she found her.

"Lal, can I talk to you for a second?" Bianchi stopped her.

"Um, sure." Lal said softly, raising her goggles from her eyes. "What is it?"

_How am I supposed to phrase this?_ Bianchi took a deep breath, and then asked, "Did you and Colonello… stay together for a while before he… um, died?" She trailed off.

Lal's eyes opened in shock for a second, realizing what Bianchi was asking. _Since when did she care?_ Lal thought bitterly, the sting of that last night still there. _But, might as well answer her… _"If I know what you're trying to ask, then yes." Lal answered softly, her voice cracking a bit.

Bianchi bit her lower lip, looking away and sighing deeply. _One last question. _"H… Have you been feeling strange in any way these past few days?"

Lal hid her face in her hand for a second, then looked up. _What kind of questions are these?_ She thought. "H-How did you know?" She croaked. "I'm sure it's just the radiation…"

"No, Lal." Bianchi said softly, fixing her green eyes on the other woman. _My premonition is right… She's…_ "Lal… I think you're pregnant."


	3. Chapter 3: Discovery

A pink plus sign.

The fourth one she'd seen that day, to be exact. Lal's hands shook slightly as she finally saw the truth of it all: she was expecting Colonello's child, and Colonello was dead. A thousand emotions reeled through her head as she gripped the little plastic text. Frustrations; _how could I have been so stupid to go unprotected?_ Worries; _what if I don't make a good mother? What if something goes wrong? What kind of effect would the radiation poisoning have on the child? _ But most of all, Lal felt a deep sense of love deep inside her, a desperate want to protect and care for this child she carried. _I won't let you down, my love, my Colonello. _

- - -

"So I was right?" Bianchi smiled widely, gripping Lal's shoulders.

Lal shushed her, blushing madly. "Bianchi!" she whispered furiously. "Don't say a word to the others. I don't want them to worry, alright?"

Bianchi frowned slightly. "They will eventually figure it out, you know?"

"I know, but the later they find out, the better. Just help me out here, okay?"

"Alright, fine." Bianchi nodded, squeezing Lal's shoulder gently. "I'm so happy for you, Lal." She smiled.

Lal wrapped her arms around her midsection. "I guess I am too." Everything felt surreal, the worries and thoughts still blazing through her mind.

She quickly threw on her cloak, covering her body. "I'll just wear this everyday for now… I'd better hurry back before they wonder what happened to me." Lal gave Bianchi one last quick glance and then walked quickly down the hall.

One month later…

Hibari sat in his room; the clunk of the bamboo water fountain sounded in his ear. He folded his hands underneath his chin and closed his eyes, trying to not to focus on anything in particular. But, as hard as he tried, he couldn't stop thinking about that Arcoboleno girl, Lal Milch. What was it about her? She certainly wasn't charming. Sure, she was pretty, actually quite nice to look at sometimes, but that wasn't the reason she was always on his mind. But what was it?

He knew that he had to stop thinking about her sometime. If he didn't it would be a sign of weakness, and Hibari was not weak by any means. He sighed and decided to change out of his traditional kimono and go back to the training room in hopes of relieving some stress. He stood and slowly took off the kimono and revealed his perfectly toned and muscular chest underneath.

Meanwhile outside in the hall, Lal stumbled leaning heavily against the wall. She had successfully kept her pregnancy a secret from the others for a full month now, but it was getting harder and harder as her stomach had started to swell slightly. And to make matters worse, it seemed as if she was getting weaker. Bianchi told her to take it easy, but Lal didn't listen and now she was paying for it. Lal took a few more staggered steps, then felt everything around her start to fade. _No, no…_ she pleaded in her mind, as she fell over in a faint from the radiation poisoning, directly into Hibari's sliding door and knocked it down.

Hibari heard the crash just as he had pulled his pants on, and he dashed out of his room still shirtless to find Lal sprawled out in shards of wood and paper unconscious. He frowned and kneeled beside her, placing a cold hand on her cheek.

"How much more stupid can you get, Lal?" He muttered, frustrated. He slowly and carefully lifted her into his arms and carried the unconscious woman to his bedroom.


	4. Chapter 4: Doubts

Hibari sat down next to the still unconscious Lal, watching her intently. _You are such a fool_, Hibari thought as he started to slip a purple shirt on. He paused as he was about to button it up, looking at Lal's calm and pale face. He reached a hand out, cautious and careful, and began to trace the lines of the scars on her cheek with the tips of his fingers.

"A scarred beauty." He whispered to himself.

Lal's eyelids fluttered slightly then blinked open. The world around her was hazy and blurred, and she blinked more to bring everything into focus. She felt someone touch her cheek, and turned her head to find out what was going on.

Hibari quickly jerked his hand back and sat up, looking down at the Arcoboleno.

Lal sat up slightly and leaned on one arm. "H-Hibari?" She whispered in slight shock. "How…"

"Shut up, you're still recovering." He laid a hand on her shoulder and pushed her back down on the pillow.

"Stop it! I'm fine, Hibari." She lied, struggling to get back up.

"No, you're not."

"Yes, I am!" She roughly took Hibari's hand from her shoulder and sat all the way up. "I'm fine." She said firmly.

Hibari raised an eyebrow at her, then suddenly leaned in close and placed both hands on her neck, gazing intently into her eyes. "Are you sure?" He whispered fiercely.

Lal sat there frozen by the Cloud guardian hovering over her. _No, I'm not. _"Yes, I am."

"Fine." Hibari leaned back in his chair and proceeded to finish buttoning his shirt.

Lal looked away and tried her hardest not to blush. She took a deep breath, then swept her legs around and attempted to get off the bed. But as soon as she moved, she got hit with intense pain in her midsection as the baby inside her thrashed around in protest. "A-Ack!!!" She cried, buckling over in pain. _What was that?!_

"Lal!" Hibari dashed to her side, cradling her in his arms.

"Hibari…"

"Liar. You said you were fine." He smirked.

"S-Shut up…" She grimaced, her voice a hoarse whisper.

Hibari held the cursed girl closer and brushed a stray strand of hair out of her eyes. "Tell me what just happened."

Lal didn't know the answer to her question herself, but she couldn't help but wonder what had happened to her baby. She couldn't just tell the man in front of her about the baby, it just didn't feel right. None of this felt right…

"Hibari, I can't tell you right now. Please, try to understand…"

Hibari looked at her frowning slightly, placing a tender hand on her cheek. "Alright. I don't care." _I do care._

_Thank goodness…_ Lal laid her head on his chest gently, closing her eyes.

"Lal…" Hibari mumbled and wrapped his arms around her tighter, leaning down and kissing her hair ever so gently, running his hand along her bare neck.

Lal bit her lower lip, suddenly realizing what was wrong here. _I'm supposed to be Colonello's! _"H-Hibari…" Lal sat up, pushing the other away. "I can't do this… I'm sorry…" Lal stood, ignoring the faint pain in her abdomen and walked to the door, blushing madly.

Hibari felt something stab him directly in the chest as Lal left. He was frozen on his bed, his arms empty. _What's wrong with me?_ He hung his head, then suddenly took a pillow and flung it violently at the wall. _I'm not weak!_ He yelled in his head as he punched the bed frame, denting it permanently.

Lal trotted down the hall, her hand brushing the wall for slight support. A couple tears streamed down her cheek, and she roughly brushed them away. _Why does this hurt so much? I'm Colonello's, and no one else's!_ She told herself over and over, trying with all her might to shove the Vongola Cloud guardian out of her mind to avail. She reached her room and flung herself onto her bed, hugging her pillow and cried herself to sleep.

- - -

**(Machi-love speaks: oh my goodness, i loved writing this chapter. So much fun.... Thanks for all the nice reviews everyone! if you want more HibaxLal, keep reading! i plan to further this pairing... sorry if Lal and Hibari seem too OoC for ya'll OTL thanks again, my precious fans~)**


	5. Chapter 5: Lal's Dream

Lal awoke to sweet, familiar blue eyes staring lovingly down at her. The more she blinked, the clearer her vision got. That blond, messy hair… The strong, broad shoulders… "Colonello!" She cried in shock.

"That's right, kora." He smiled that dazzling smile. "My dear Lal."

"Oh, Colonello…" She wrapped her arms around him, never wanting to let go. Something in the back of her mind told her, _this is a dream. This isn't real. _But she shoved that idea farther and farther from her mind. Dream or not, she didn't want anything to come in between them.

"My Lal is so beautiful." Colonello whispered, his lips gracing her cheek.

A tear slipped down Lal's cheek. She took Colonello's hand in hers and whispered, "I missed you so much… I'm so sorry, everything is my fault, I- -" She trailed off, gazing into his blue eyes apologetically.

Colonello shook his head, a smile playing on the corner of his mouth. He wiped the tears from Lal's cheeks. "Lal, nothing could have stopped this from happening, alright? Don't blame yourself, kora."

Lal nodded, embracing him again. She was so relieved that Colonello didn't blame her for anything. For the first time in three and a half months, she finally felt happy… "Colonello, I'm pregnant!" Lal whispered excitedly, clasping his hands tightly.

"I know," Colonello smiled brightly and kissed Lal deeply.

"Mm…" Lal returned the kiss, wrapping her arms around the other Arcoboleno's neck. She broke the kiss, looking into his eyes lovingly.

"You're going to make a great mother, kora."

Lal smiled, then looked down with worry in her heart.

"Lal? What's the matter?" Colonello lifted Lal's chin and gazed into her eyes.

Lal bit her lower lip, not meeting Colonello's gaze. "Colonello…" She took a deep breath and then continued. "I just don't know what to do, I mean, what if I don't make a good mother? What if something goes wrong? I'm so worried…"

Colonello pulled the Arcoboleno woman in and kissed her forehead. "Lal…" Suddenly, Colonello started to fade away. He frowned apologetically at Lal, shaking his head.

"N-No! Colonello, don't go!! No…" Lal cried. She tried to reach out and grab his hand, but she passed right through him.

"I'm sorry, Lal…" His voice fading away into a whisper, his eyes were the last things to disappear. "Love you…" Came the last faint words, then Lal awoke back in her own room, in tears.


	6. Chapter 6: Visiting

Yamamoto strolled calmly through the halls, swinging his sword over his shoulder. His mind wandered as he hummed lightly to himself. No one else was awake in the Vongola base; Yamamoto had always been an early riser. Now, as he walked back to his room from early morning training, he passed by the room he knew as Lal's. He lingered slightly, listening to see if she was awake or asleep. He knew she had been under some stress lately, but he wasn't exactly sure why. Judging that Lal was still asleep from the silence coming from her room, Yamamoto knocked on the door softly.

"Lal?" He stood outside the door, waiting for an answer.

Meanwhile, inside, Lal awoke from her dream in a cold sweat. She took a couple shaky breaths before asking, "W-Who's there?"

"It's me, Yamamoto. Are you okay?"

"Y-Yeah, I'm fine!" She lied, her mind whirling.

"Oh, well, I just wanted to remind you that Tsuna-san called a meeting for today… Are you going to be there?"

_Oh shoot, that's right – a meeting… _"Yeah, I'll be there."

"Okay!" Yamamoto called happily. He began to walk away, then paused. "Can… Can I come in?"

"Uh…" Lal quickly got up and fixed her hair in the mirror, then sat back down on her bed, covering her midsection with her blanket. "Sure," she called to the awaiting swordsman outside her door.

Yamamoto opened the door, immediately giving the Arcobaleno a smile. He strode over to her bed and sat down next to her. "How are you?"

_Please, not small talk… I'm not in the mood for this. _"Good… How about you?"

Yamamoto placed his hands behind his head, leaning back comfortably. "Can't complain. Hey! Want to train with me? Maybe you can show me some tips, Spartan trainer." He smiled that carefree smile.

Lal pulled back a bit. "S-Sorry… I can't…" _I'm afraid what that will do to me… _

"Ah? Why not?" He looked at her, curious, and leaned in a bit closer.

"B-Because… I already have plans with someone else. Sorry, Yamamoto." Lal tried to look sincere.

"Oh… That's okay, we can still do it another time, ne? Right?"

"…Yeah, of course." She nodded, hoping he would understand if she kept coming up with excuses.

Yamamoto smiled again, his hand taking Lal's gently. "Thanks!" He squeezed her hand, then stood to leave. "I'll see you at the meeting!" He gave a wave before walking out of her room.

Lal watched him leave, then hugged her pillow to her chest. _How am I supposed to make it through this… _

- - -

**(machi-love speaks: Sorry about this chapter being so late coming ^^;; I promise more chapters will be coming your way! Thanks for all the support, favorites, and comments - you guys rock!! If you want to see more of something, just let me know, i'll be happy to oblige~ Thanks again for hanging in there! )**


	7. Chapter 7:Accidents That Reveal

"Everyone's here, so I guess we can begin now." Tsuna said, facing the guardians and family gathered around the table. He was extremely proud to be their boss; his feelings never changed for them from the time they were merely students in middle school to when they began to fight together on the battlefield. Everyone faced their boss with interest, except for Lal Mirch, sitting in the back. Still in shock from her dream, Colonello's face still gracing her memory, and having one of those killer headaches somehow simultaneously, she was totally unprepared for the report she was supposed to give today.

"So Tsuna-nii, what's on the agenda today?" Fuuta asked and smiled, leaning back in his chair comfortably.

"Ah, well, this meeting is rather brief – not a lot of things have been happening lately. Basil-san has fully recovered from his injuries he got in a fight with a couple Millifiore two weeks ago, and Gokudera-san arrived safely in Italy to meet with another mafia family."

"That's good!" Yamamoto called out from his chair around the table. He looked over to Hibari beside him, who seemed to be asleep. "Oi, wake up." He nudged the man.

"Don't touch me herbivore; I was thinking." Hibari opened one eye, glaring at the Rain Guardian.

"O-Oh… sorry." Yamamoto chuckled nervously, pulling his arm away from him.

Hibari looked at him scornfully one last time, then tilted his head back and closed his lids again.

Tsuna, seeing that this exchange was over, looked over at Lal. "Ah, Lal, didn't you have something to report today?"

Lal's head spun as she nodded, stood and faced the group. "Yes." She croaked, then cleared her throat and tried again, her voice a tad bit clearer the second time. Every part of her body seemed to feel incredibly weak and useless; this was worse than she had ever been before. Vision began to blur, head began to throb, and she was having trouble gathering her thoughts. _I'm about... 5 months now... What possibly could be happening... _She thought, unable to stand up straight. Everyone around her noticed the weakness in the woman, and began to give her concerned looks.

Tsuna looked at Lal for a second, then nodded at her. "Go ahead."

Lal wavered a bit, struggling to stay up. Her head spun some more, and her hands began to shake. "I-I…"

"Lal!" Yamamoto stood, ready to help her. Hibari opened one eye again, looking over at Lal with no emotion in his eye.

"N-No. I'm fine." Lal lied, steadying herself by leaning on the table slightly.

"A-Are you sure?" Yamamoto continued to stand.

"Shut up, I…I'm fine!" Lal said weakly, holding up her trembling hand to stop Yamamoto.

Yamamoto looked at her with concern, but obeyed her and sat back down slowly.

Lal stood herself up as best as she could, although her hands were still shaking. "I… I learned from Iemitsu-sama a c-couple days ago that a new strain… of G-Gau Mosca was released by the Millifiore into the for-forest…" Lal's face began to pale.

Tsuna and Yamamoto both began to stand with worried looks on their faces - the Arcobaleno before them obviously did not look well.

"I… I can't… B-Breathe…"_ No... not here.. not now..._ Lal's voice and thoughts faded away to nothing as she fell backwards in a faint.

"LAL!!" Tsuna and Yamamoto sprang up and ran to her side. Everyone else stood up, worried, except for Hibari, who kept one blue-gray eye trained on her, his expression unreadable. Tsuna and Yamamoto stopped in their tracks, however, right as they saw the feminine form sprawled across the floor. Tsuna's mouth agape in shock, Yamamoto's eyes wide, they both stared at Lal who lay unconscious on the floor. For in the process of her falling, her cloak had blown back and away from her body, revealing her secret to all.


	8. Chapter 8: No One Knew

Lal felt that familiar feeling in her head, telling her that she was slipping into an unconscious state. But this time, it was different – her head felt lighter, and she was less aware of her surroundings this time around; and when she hit the floor, the usual dull pain that she felt was gone. She felt herself slipping into a deeper darkness than she had ever been…

- - -

The Vongola guardians and family gaped at the unconscious and obviously pregnant Lal laying on the ground before them. Emotions ran through their veins as they stood around the Arcobaleno woman, pulses rushing and mouths dropping open. No one knew what to think, no one moved a muscle. You could've heard a pin drop in that room; the room stood still and silent as the Vongola tried to process what they were seeing. Lal Mirch of the CEDEF, the Spartan Trainer, the failed Arcobaleno, the mysterious, strong, and hauntingly beautiful woman they all knew would never be pregnant – in their minds, at least. But now, right before their eyes, Lal was lying on the ground, obviously carrying a child. They couldn't help but wonder the obvious question, but they couldn't ask the comatose. As they stood there, frozen, they heard a voice from the back of the group.

"Shouldn't you be helping her up?" Hibari's said, an almost echo resounding through the room.

Tsuna was the first to respond. "A-Ah! Yeah! Did she faint from the Trinsette radiation?" He ran to her side.

Yamamoto came to her other side, pulling her head into his lap. "Yeah, probably. She's out cold…" He said softly, placing a hand on her cold forehead.

Bianchi suddenly entered, stopping on a dime upon seeing Lal. She placed a hand over her mouth, gasping. "Oh no, Lal!" Realization finally hit her, as she whispered out loud, "No… The radiation finally got too much for her body…"

Yamamoto snapped his head up, looking up at Bianchi with a shocked face. "What are you talking about?"

"She's not protected… The radiation is ravaging her body."

Reborn nodded, agreeing with her. "It's probably true. She's been getting weaker and weaker of late… now we know why." He said, nodding.

Yamamoto frowned, placing a hand on her cheek. "Well… What do we do?"

Bianchi was silent for a while, thinking. She then looked up, an idea striking her mind. "Here. Take her to the infirmary. Gianinni can probably make something for her."

Hibari stood suddenly and pushed his way past Yamamoto and Tsuna. He picked up the comatose Lal, holding her close, and carried her out of the room. Tsuna and Yamamoto watched the Cloud guardian leave, a little shaken, then turned to talk about the issue.

- - -

Hibari carried Lal, still unconscious, to the infirmary. He looked down at the beautiful and pale sleeping face, something deep inside him desperately wanting to revive her somehow. He pushed that feeling deeper down, however, not understanding why he wanted to do that. _She's nothing special_, he told himself over and over, although that one part of him kept replying, _She IS special, she is. _

**(machi-love speaks**:** UGH. Sorry about this chapter kinda sucking... I'm trying to get over writer's block at the moment. Apologies to all~ Chapters will be getting longer, more dramatic, and BETTER, I promise you! More ColoLal on the way, too~ haha. Thanks for hanging in there!) **


	9. Chapter 9: The Unknown Feeling

Hibari arrived at the infirmary, placing Lal gently down on the bed and pulling up a chair to sit beside her, as he waited for the others to come. He self-consciously reached a hand out and took hold of a lock of her hair, feeling the silky strands. His eyes traveled to her sleeping face – that pale and scarred skin, those delicate and thin eyelids, rimmed by long and feathery bluish-black eyelashes, her still and pink lips, frozen in a slight pout. Confident that no one else was watching, he reached out a finger and began to trace the outline of her lips. Her skin was surprisingly soft to the touch, and his hand drifted down to her cheek. His thumb caressed her jaw line, running over her scars. His hand lingered there for a while, his fingers tracing the outlines of the scars the marked her cheek. He felt the slightly rough indentations in her skin, the only thing that marred her. It was a different type of marring, though. The scars, strangely, added to her beauty. They were a part of her, without them, she just wouldn't be the same, in Hibari's mind. His eyes then glanced downward to the rest of her body covered in a blanket, glancing over her pregnant form. He tentatively took his hand off of her cheek and reached it out to her stomach, hesitating a little before placing it softly on her stomach. He gently ran his hand over the small round shape, his eyes expressionless… Until he felt a small movement underneath his hand - small and barely there, but still a movement nonetheless. He retracted his hand a bit, his eyes filling with surprise, and placed his hand back, curious. Something fluttered in his heart then and there, an unknown feeling deep inside him stirred as he felt another movement under his hand. He had no idea what this feeling was, it wasn't surprise, it wasn't fear, it wasn't even hostility, like he normally felt. He felt the same feeling when he looked at the Arcobaleno's face – it was only stronger.

At that moment, Fuuta bust into the room, carrying what looked like a large white, heavy tarp. Hibari quickly retracted his hand, leaning back in his chair and pretended to be asleep. Fuuta walked in, leaning backwards from the weight of his load.

"Hibari-san? Is that you?" He said, looking over the cloth.

Hibari opened one eye, looking at Fuuta, saying nothing. Fuuta blinked at him, not wanting to ask any more questions for fear of offending the Cloud guardian in some way. Gianinni walked in behind Fuuta, rubbing his hands nervously.

"Hopefully this works… Fuuta, set up the tent around Lal-san, please." Gianinni said as Tsuna and Yamamoto entered.

Fuuta nodded, and the three men gathered around the bed and started putting up this large tent-like structure around the comatose Lal. Hibari frowned, watching as the white fabric went around Lal, her silhouette visible through the cloth. Gianinni began to explain, watching from the door.

"This tarp is made from a material that will protect her from the Trinsette radiation. She just has to stay underneath it while recovering. I hope it works – I don't know what that radiation has done to her… uh… child…" Gianinni trailed off, rubbing his neck awkwardly. He still couldn't get over the fact that Lal was pregnant, and self-consciously left the room.

Yamamoto zipped the covering closed with wistful eyes, stepping back to stand beside Tsuna. Hibari glanced at him, then looked back at the sleeping silhouette of Lal; silence blanketed the room as they became lost in their own thoughts.

Fuuta was the first to speak. "I hope… Lal-san gets better… For Colonello-san's sake." He said softly, looking at the makeshift tent.

Tsuna nodded his head in agreement, glancing around the room. "Colonello would have wanted her to live…"

Yamamoto gave a small, hopeful smile. "She's strong. She'll make it through, I know it."

Hibari narrowed his eyes, looking at the people around him. "And she wouldn't want you three sobbing over her like weaklings either. Don't you have work to do?" He said, glaring at the three standing around the bed.

They all looked at him, a little stunned, then agreed with him slowly. Lal wouldn't want them standing around her, frozen, when there was work and training to be done. They slowly walked away, off to do their own things.

Hibari lingered for a while, however. He stood, looking through the fabric at the woman inside; he could almost see her face clearly – those beautiful features he longed for, but couldn't reach. Again, he felt that pang of unknown feeling deep down inside him. It bothered him; he had no idea what it was, yet he somehow wanted to feel it again. He kissed the tips of his fingers, running them in turn across the cloth covering gently, then turned slowly and left the room.


	10. Chapter 10: Unconcious Dreams pt 1

As Lal's body lay there unconscious and unmoving, her mind whirled with memories of the past…

_"Tell me your name, cadet." Lal looked at the man standing before her. Spiky blond hair, sky blue eyes, and broad shoulders blocked the sun behind him, standing before her like a shining tower. A camouflage bandana stood out from the golden locks, deep greens and browns against a blond background. His eyes were piercing, blue orbs framed by sweeping eyelashes. He was tall and lean, his shoulders strong. _

_"You can call me Colonello." He answered, his voice clear, with a slight teasing tone to it._

_Her dark eyes stared into his blue, emotionless and unwavering. "Remember your manners when you answer me in the future. I'm you're commanding officer." _

_He was proud; she didn't like that. _

_She was beautiful; he liked that. _

_"I'll be sure to remember…" He smiled, a bright and crooked grin. "…Kora." _

_That grin – the way his face moved, the way his eyebrows cocked upwards, the small dimple that appeared at the corner of his mouth, those straight, off-white teeth – left an imprint in her mind forever. _

_Training began. _

"_You have to move faster than that if you're going to be under my command!" Lal yelled, easily dodging a sideways punch from the new student. _

"_Are you sure I can't fight against a male officer or something? I don't want to hurt you…" _

_Lal lashed out with her foot, catching his legs and throwing him to the ground. "What will do when you face a female in battle, hm? Let her go peacefully with your respects? Idiot!" She said sarcastically. "Don't be a coward. Now get up!" _

_Despite those broad, strong-looking shoulders, he was a klutz. It was going to take a while to train this cadet, but Lal was ready for that. She had trained many cadets like this one; he wouldn't be any different. _

_The student realized something. _

_His commanding officer was beautiful, no doubt. But there was something different about this woman. The way she moved when she fought was strangely graceful. The way she stood over him when he was knocked down attracted him. The way her delicate looking hands forcefully grabbed his arm to throw him to the ground both surprised him and made him smile. There was definitely something different about Lal Mirch. Then, he realized… He loved this woman. _

_And so he trained with new zeal and determination. It didn't matter if he became the best student she's ever had, it didn't matter if he was the worst. He only knew that he loved her, and that was all that mattered. He didn't even know how long he had loved her, but he knew for sure that he did. He would wait a lifetime to be with a girl like her, and if she wanted him to, he will. _

_Training became courtship. _

_He fought with all his might, strengthening his body and mind. The sparring sessions became prolonged and more intense, as he advanced in skill. He worked hard and long; the only reward he looked for was her brow raised in approval, the light nod, even sometimes the occasional corner of her mouth turned up slightly. He was confident that he was making progress, but he tried not to get too cocky, as he also knew that despite all his attempts, he still might not get the girl. _

_Lal couldn't help but notice the change in her student. His physique improved, his skill improved – but he was still an idiot. Too polite for war, too nice for battle, this student was. When would he realize that being too soft would ultimately get you killed in the line of combat? But… a small chord sounded in her heart whenever she looked at him. That idiotic smile, those warm eyes that grew even warmer when he looked at her… No. He was a student, nothing more. She pushed her feelings farther down inside herself as training continued. _

_They continued to spar together, bodies moving, never stopping, dodging the other, repeating the process over and over. The sun beat overhead, causing vision to waver and clothing to stick to skin._

_Colonello lashed out to punch her. She put her arm up to block his movement. He grabbed her arm, as if to execute a move she had shown him earlier… But he did something out of the blue, unexpected, completely out of line… _

_He slowly raised her hand to his lips, and ever so lightly, kissed her delicate fingers. _

_Hearts fluttered. Faces flushed. Bodies froze. Neither moved for a moment, then Colonello lifted his head to smile gently at Lal. His hands were warm, but not unbearably hot. His gaze was soft, but strong at the same time. Lal couldn't help but be frozen on the spot. What was this feeling…?_

_Acting in the only way she knew how, she tore her hand away from his and raised it to slap him. But somehow, she couldn't bring herself to do it. The way he continued to look at her: calm, not worried about the approaching slap, with a slight smile plastered on… It was idiotic, but somehow perfect. Something turned over in her heart and instead, she began to walk away, face blushing. _

_But the persistent student grabbed her wrist, pulling her back into his arms. He held her close, enveloping her petite body. His fingers gently laced through her hair, the other hand placed gently on her back. She was frozen again, unsure of what to do. Her heart was beating wildly, even worse than after any battle she'd fought in the past. Slowly but surely, her arms raised and wrapped around his waist, and their bodies entwined underneath the hot summer sun. _

_---_

**(Machi-love speaks: SO. MUCH. FUN TO WRITE. and i'm not even done yet, hahaha. This flashback will be broken up into two parts. Here's part 1, and part 2 should be coming soon. Thanks again for hanging in there with me! )**


	11. Chapter 11: Unconcious Dreams pt 2

_As the training sessions continued, Lal caught herself wearing her heart on her sleeve around the cadet, out in the open for him to steal. And steal it, he did. No matter how much she fought against him, no matter how hard she pushed him to the edge of exhaustion, he still loved her, and slowly yet surely, she found herself loving him back. Even though she shoved him away stubbornly, despite all the times she yelled at him to get his hands off her, her blushing face and stuttering words told him that she thought differently on the inside. She had never felt this way towards anyone in her life before – it was so new, so shocking, so… wonderful. _

_- -  
_

_"Lal! Lal Mirch!!" Colonello's staccato and urgent shout rang across the barracks. His feet traveled quickly down the hall in the darkness, his eyes desperately searching for her door. The smoke was growing outside, the sounds of firing machine guns growing closer and closer to the dorms. "Lal, where are you?!" _

_Lal appeared in the hall, her face expressionless. _

_Colonello broke into a run, stopping on a dime before Lal. "The base, it's - - "_

_"Under attack." Lal finished his sentence, her face unmoved. "I know." _

_"Then why aren't you doing anything, kora?!" He gestured wildly with his hand to the window, where flashes and explosions could be seen. His voice was panicked, but not because he was worried about his comrades – he knew they could hold their own; he was worried about his commanding officer, his beautiful flower blooming in the middle of a dead valley. _

_"If you panic, you've lost the battle already!" She raised her voice, taking a commanding step toward him. Her mouth was set in a slight scowl; she was frustrated with him, yet there was something inside of her that stayed alight, despite her frustration. "Come on, we've wasted enough time already." She traveled quickly down the hall, her boots sounding with an urgent click. _

_Colonello couldn't help but smirk at her as she left. The flower has thorns, he thought to himself, and followed her down the hall. _

_- -  
_

_Colonello had trouble keeping his eyes on his enemies and keeping his eyes off his commanding officer as she fought. Even if she was only standing and shooting, she had a hypnotizing and strong beauty around her. She was so focused, so determined, yet somehow, so graceful. _

_Lal was battle-learned, she knew almost every tactic, every maneuver, every defensive and offensive move in the book – yet somehow, despite all her knowledge… the enemy who she had been sparring with for some time now found an opening in her defense and sliced her stomach. _

_The butterfly, who had flown so high, so gracefully until now, fell pitifully to the ground, as her attacker fled the scene directly towards the spectator, Colonello. _

_The assailant's flight was short-lived, however, as he was interrupted by a blizzard of rapidly fired bullets from Colonello's rifle. The enemy fell, and Colonello immediately sprung up and rushed to the wounded Lal's side. _

_"Lal!!" He yelled as he ran towards her, knelt by her side, and gently pulled her head into his lap. "Lal…"_

_"Y…You bastard." Her voice cracked, hoarse and weak. "I-I could've ha…handled it my-myself." _

_"Are you kidding me, kora? You're wounded!" He chided gently. He glanced down to Lal's stomach, her formerly pristine uniform now stained with her blood. Without another a word, Colonello lifted Lal into his arms and fled the battlefield. The sounds of war were all around them; the ground shook with the movement of tanks and the falling of bombs. Not caring that the enemy could come in and attack at any time, Colonello ran into his empty dorm room and laid Lal down on his bed. The only thing that mattered now was his love, his commanding officer. The battle was far from his mind, the sounds and sensations long gone from his thoughts – the only thing on his mind was Lal. _

_She laid on his bed, lightheaded due to loss of blood. Yet, she didn't flinch when his hands pulled away her bloody clothing, and she didn't move when he began to clean the gaping wound. As his hands began to stitch the wound closed, she didn't even bat an eyelash. She was strong, she was determined, she was disciplined – she was Lal Mirch of the CONSUBIN, and a simple stab wound wouldn't be able to make her fall. _

_But, as Colonello, her idiotic student, finished stitching and bandaging her wound, he leaned upward towards her, looking her directly in the eye. His gentle and lofty voice, now thick with emotion, sounded in her ear, saying, "Don't ever scare me like that again, kora. I don't want you ever being in danger of leaving me… Because, I love you, kora." _

_And what finally made her fall, fall down to the floor only to fly back up to the heavens and beyond, was his lips on hers. _

_- - _

**( Machi-Love speaks: Thank you so much to all who have been waiting for this chapter for a very long time!! I've been very busy lately, and haven't had much time to work on this. But here it is, part 2! And I'm pretty sure I'm coming out with a part 3... as of now, it's for sure. If my schedule becomes too busy, and I can't make another flashback chapter, I'll be sure to let you guys know. Thanks again for hanging in there! Enjoy! )**


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